etty well done for.

Barrow, noting this with the eye of a skilful physician, sent a nurse
for black coffee and a bowl of soup, but Jeb rebelled in disgust at the
thought of it.

"Come, now," his chief said commandingly, when the nurse returned, "shut
your eyes and drink them down, I tell you! We need you, Jeb; you mustn't
kick up sick the first day!"

We need you! The words stirred new life in him. Then came a vision of
the great Bonsecours as he had pointed toward No Man's Land and cried:
"It is those whom the good God expects us to bring in!"

He swallowed the soup and coffee, doggedly turned and followed Hastings
up the slope again. But, behind the back of his lanky partner, he was
whimpering softly. Never before had the battle scene beyond inspired him
with so much terror as now, for its ebb and flow was leaving a greater
human wreckage than the Red Cross men could handle. The wounded were
arriving at longer periods, because the stretcher-bearers were having
farther and farther to go for them; and the disturbing fact was
becoming evident that there were less stretcher-bearers than had started
out in the morning.

Before Jeb's eyes now the third division barged over the top, leaving
the front trench deserted. He saw the line hold beautifully for the
first hundred yards, then become more and more phantom-like as it
plunged deeper into the pall of smoke. He wondered dully if the fellow
who had said: "Watch for me!" had found his nerve, or was still grinning
the sickly leer of cowardice.

"That smoke ain't such a bad screen, Jeb," Hastings shouted. "Come on;
let's get busy!"

Into it again they passed; many times that afternoon they came out and
passed again into it. The last trip took them nearly to the old German
first line--since morning blasted level with the ground--before they
found a man who had not passed the point of aid. There were plenty about
them of the other kind, for machine-guns here had done frightful work.
Leading the way back, confused by sounds and smoke, Hastings lost
direction, coming within a trice of being picked up and carried by a
sudden rush of the French troops. Jeb, more insane with fear than
anger, cursed him with every oath he had ever heard, but the forward
stretcher-bearer, making allowances, went indifferently on.

They had got about halfway when the wounded man suddenly raised up,
clutched at Jeb, and fell over to the ground. Jeb dropped the handles
and screamed with terror,